Other

PSX Extreme

Site Stats

Ben's Week In Review: July 10

Not much going on this week but we did shoot our fourth PSXE show and the third is in the process of being approved. :)

Bioshock Infinite: Game of the Year 2012?

It's my second most wanted game behind Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and every time I see it, I just get more excited. Did you see that amazing GTTV presentation? I mean, holy sh**. I know a lot of people around here aren't super huge Bioshock fans but I am; I loved the first and I loved the second and to be honest, despite what many fans and critics say, I can't really place one above the other. They're a little different but they remain fantastic for various reasons; they always feel like the perfect combination of role-playing and first-person shooter. Now you know why I'm looking forward to Deus Ex: Human Revolution. ;)

Anyway, those 14 minutes of gameplay for Infinite gave me all-new respect for the developers at Irrational, because they're artistic geniuses over there. And can you believe what they're getting out of that Unreal Engine? Jeebus. For the sake of discussion, though, what might challenge this game for Game of the Year in 2012? Any ideas?

Don't pass on Limbo just 'cuz it came from the XBLA

Braid came across, too, and I think we're all glad it did. I still say the PSN has the best selection of downloadable exclusives as nothing tops Flower, echochrome, Joe Danger, Wipeout HD, Journey (just guessing at the last, but it's a safe guess), etc., but even so, Limbo looks great. I've been wanting to play it ever since it came out last year. The only reason I didn't is because I kept getting sidetracked with work and other games. But I'll have a review for this one when it arrives and I'm definitely hoping for an original, engaging adventure. I actually haven't played a downloadable title through to completion since Joe Danger and I'm sorta missing my mini-game fix. That's what I call downloadables, btw.

Oh, and while we're on the subject, can somebody get Hothead Games to make Joe Danger 2. Please?

Personal gaming update

I continue to savor inFamous 2 and I actually have a lot of fun with Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon. It's stupid and not very polished but somehow, it remains good fun and I find myself going back to play it every now and then. It's better with friends, though. As for titles on the horizon, the only one I see is Catherine, but I remain concerned that it'll fail miserably in this country. Bear in mind that I have my own reservations about the game but I sincerely hope it turns out well, and I further hope it's another Atlus hit. Remember 3D Dot Game Heroes? They thought that one would sell like 25,000 copies in the US and it ended up selling over 300,000 or something like that.

For the upcoming PSXE Shows, I tackle subjects like Call of Duty (and why it's not the game's fault), the idea of reviewers being "bribed" by little gifts, the rising cost of game development, and oh yes, a look at my Final Fantasy collection and my thoughts on what Square Enix needs to do.

If you missed Episode #2, you can always catch it in the Home Community Theater. Right now, we're expecting Episode #3 to debut on July 21 but I'll let you know if the date changes. Don't worry; we'll have another party! :)

P.S. For all you guitar fans, I thought I'd turn you onto this blistering little piece by At Vance; check it out.

Comments (85 posts)

Hmmm... Bioshock Infinite did have a very impressive demo on GTTV, no doubt, and it seems like very few big titles have been announced to release in 2012, so it could very well be a major contendor for GOTY. So the competition to compete with Bioshock Infinite in 2012 includes Mass Effect 3, possibly The Last(Lost) Guardian, and the rumored, GTA5. Plus, you have the yearly titles that will release such as AC3, maybe, and Treyarch's next COD game.

And, don't worry about me wanting to skip Limbo just because it came from XBLA. I've been wanting to play that game ever since I laid my eyes on it. Can't wait.

Bioshock Infinite is looking fantastic, and a worthy GotY contender for 2012. But what about Mass Effect 3 or The Last Guardian, or even Tomb Raider. Even Hitman is looking really promising. How about the possibility of QD's next game coming out? But oh, indeed. Every time I find another nugget of information for Infinite I get a little more excited.

Limbo D/L. Uh-huh.

Personal Update:
Almost finished on the Edgar Allan Poe collection, then I'll be going back to Jane Austen, probably Sense and Sensibility.
Kept going with my evil playthrough of iF2, I'm up to mission 30 now and seriously need to get the rest of those upgrades because they look AWESOME! FFIV is great for short play sessions. Seriously, pick it up, run around the map for 10-20 minutes grind a bit, do a bit of story and it's all good.
Peace.

Yeah, but LBP could have been too niche too. You're probably right on the other two though. Then again, as long as the quality is there, is doesn't necessarily need immense sales, and both of them will be aided in their attempt by the brand names.

I'm staying away from all Bioshock Infinite video and info because it IS my most anticipated game of 2012 and I don't want to ruin anything for myself unless I have to.

Right now I can't figure out what to play, I'm giving up on Two Worlds II forever, I've tried to play it too many times and the controls just keep ruining it for me. Yakuza 4 is okay but it isn't sucking me in. So I ordered Shadows of the Damned.

If anybody wants a piece of my collection thats for sale check me out on ebay at SpikeReloaded.

I think I've given up on Tomb Raider Underworld forever about 3x now. I can't understand why I eventually go back to it, suspecting there's something about it I was supposed to like. Within 20min or so I realize the game is so screwed up I'll never play it again.

PGU: Well I finished "InFamous 2" and got the good ending..Finally in the home stretch of NHL 11 32 games left in the season and in NBA 2k11 I got 9 games left. Bad news part of the PGU I gotta send my PS3 and PSP in for repairs PSP(memory stick isn't showing up on the XMB) and PS3(won't insert games) bright side PSP is still under warranty and PS3 repairs is only 99 bucks(bright side people owe me enough money to pay for the repairs).

Cool, never heard of At Vance. His stuff reminds me of Ywngie Malmstein. Other good guitarists I've liked are Marty Friedman, Petruci, and Satriani. I used to lean guitar solos of Metallica's. It's one reason I could never get into Guitar Hero because I always felt I was wasting my time when I should just be reading actual tabs and practicing on my actual guitar. THe last song I was learning was Canon in D. I have about 1/4 of it down. I gotta work on mastering arpeggios. Getting a decent pitched artificial harmonic is hard enough as it is. Anyway, just haven't really devoted the time to it like I used to. I decided to get good at Tekken instead =p

Anyway, I'll probably have to snag Bioshock for $10 this week. I took a chance with assassins creed and it has become one of my fav franchises, so maybe Bioshock can do the same.

PGU: Just been doing Fallout 3, and also taken adrenaline intercessions with Vanquish.Good stuff.

I was never interested in the original bioshock even after the critical acclaim post release on 360 but in 08 when it was ported over and we made a trip to best buy and I had nothing to play I picked it up. I am in love with the franchise and bioshock infinite is currently my most anticipated game of 2012. That last demo we saw blew me away.

Hopefully Catherine is going to be a worthwhile experience because I wish to support Atlus and the Persona team. Deus Ex doesn't seem to be a D1P material atm for me but It's on my radar.

PGU: Enjoying Dungeon Seige 3 for what it is, a solid action rpg, also gets kudos for local co-op for main story so I can enjoy something with my younger cousin who is kept away from M games. I did enjoy some of the story even if it wasn't a very strong narrative it did give a few choices up to the player.Last edited by Teddie9 on 7/9/2011 10:47:00 PM

By the looks and sounds of it, if you're any sort of fan of Bioshock, then Deus Ex should definitely be at the top of your list. If anything it has even more RPG elements than 2K's series, and a much more open story format as well. Then again... it's your prerogative.

I want to do Deus Ex for sure. Did you know that there is actually a connection between Bioshock and Dues Ex? Huh? what you say?Yep, if anyone has looked into the history behind the minds behind games like Deus Ex, Bioshock/Sytem Shock, Thief, and even the Xbox itself, you'll find Warren Spector, Ken Levine, Seamus Blackley all worked together at one point in time on various PC projects of the past. Ken and Warren worked together on System Shock(essentially the foundation for Bioshock's play)They all splintered off to pursue their own ventures. Warren went on to head up Deus Ex. Ken Levine went on to do various projects and eventually Bioshock, and Seamus Blackley was one of the heads behind the original Xbox.Crazy eh? So John Carmack, Peter Moleneaux, and Gabe Newell aren't the only PC devs who have done big things from their PC roots.

PGU: In vacation mode! I'll be traveling a bunch and even making a visit to the US of A! Have a family wedding in Iowa (on the opposite side from where I'll be coming from, so.... 17 hour drive for me.) I just bought a little 9 inch car travel tv with audio/video in, and a 3 way car adapter. In other words... I'm going to be in the back seat playing my ol' PSone! (The small white one) 8 family members going in big ol' van, so I don't have to drive too much of it.

Since I don't have access to PS3 really this vacation, I've been playing all PSP and PS1 games. I re-started Dragon Warrior 7, I'm at the end of FFIV (still haven't touched interlude or after years part yet), and on the road, since my wife will want the tv for movies once and a while, I'm also taking along the PSP release of FFT for another playthrough.

If I'm ever "online", it won't be me. It'll be my buddy house sitting. :p Tiny appartment. He'll have my house to himself. He hates party's and is extremely anti-social, so no parties. lol.

When I get back, I gameaccessed (Canada's version of Gamefly) Dungeon Siege 3 and will try some of that as well as continuing White Knight Chronicles.

Like Bioware, Irrational Games customized the UE3 engine to the point where it doesn't even resemble the actual engine; meaning UE3 is pretty Irrational Game's custom engine (like Bioware when they modified it for ME2, and ME3).

And speaking of the ME series, I can only think of ME3 to challenge Bioshock Infinite as GOTY, and that's not taking into account any games that might be announced in the future, or any games that we currently know of releasing in 2012 (such as FF XIII-2) that could possible wow critics and fans/gamers alike.

I'm also pretty sure you'll love Limbo Ben :), as like Flow and Flower, it's considered as a work of art by many critics and the industry alike.

PGU: been kind of busy with school and everything else so I'm still playing FFIX and Infamous 2. Also recently bought the original Dead Space, which is awesome from the little I've played. It's pretty scary though. I've been testing myself to see if I can handle it at night, hehe. Also, my PS1 rpg collection is getting pretty big now. All I need is the time to play eveything. Such is life. =)

Claire, probably best if you take it slow and sample each game like fine wine. At least you know the experience will last you some years, and every so often you can look forward to unwrapping another game and getting your teeth stuck into it...

I am actually going fairly slow. I've only been collecting PS1 games to hopefully play later on. I don't plan on playing them all at once. Besides, I've been working on FFIX and I2 for like a month now. ;)Last edited by Claire C on 7/10/2011 12:50:29 AM

let's see, out of all the events of this week in gaming i consider sony's move to implement an online pass system is the biggest news. i just don't like it, and consider it's a very unfriendly way to treat consumers. i guess the days of being able lend out a game or taking it over to your friend's house and having access to all its features are coming to the end. i also wonder how far we are from being like pc games where essentially you have to pay for the game again if you buy it used. i don't think it's asking too much to able access all the advertised features of a game without having to use a code. i can think of a stockpile of arguments against, but not so many in favor. i also find it interesting that the biggest online game out there does not have to resort to this tactic.

pgu

i recently got re code veronica x at gamespot used and have been playing it on my ps3. i played it many years ago, but it was fun to go back and replay it. not a whole lot of hand holding going on in that game. no easy mode, scarce ammo supplies, and a couple of brutal sections. it's probably not 1 of the better re games, but it's by no means bad. i enjoyed it.

The biggest online game out there hasn't resorted to this tactic. Not won't. Besides, if it were to be implemented, there would be even greater backlash against it. $1.4Billion dollars in revenue is simply an obscene amount. Also, you mention being able to take a game over to a friend's place?

The difference is, back in the day, there was no online segment. You went over to a mate's place to play co-op or to let them have a go at a great new game, not to go online with them. And to be honest, the games that do allow online splitscreen are few and far between. Sure, lending of a game may be out of the question, but you may be able to get around that if you sign onto their PS3 with your account (I don't know if that's possible, but it should be, by all accounts).
Peace.

maybe your idea of signing in might work. i still do not like the principle of an online pass system. it's not becuase i'm spoiled, or think developers don't deserve their fair share...i just don't like seeing a game segmented with stupid codes.

my first experience with a code went like hell. i bought me2, and was thrilled it came with all the dlc on the disc according to the box. bioware had been touting this as the defintive version of me2 since it came with all the dlc as bonus content on the disc. guess what? it had a 1 time code that you had to use to gain access to the bonus content locked away on the disc. ok, no problem becuase i bought it new. guess what happened? the cerebus network was down for the first 4 days so i couldn't even download the cerebus pack(interactive comic and some bonus weapons). once i was able to redeem the code i had to restart my game if i wanted to play any of the dlc since the code unlocked the dlc. what really ticked me off was i had to find this out the hard way after many hrs of gameplay. ea essentially had an online pass on a single player game, becuase if you don't have that code you are not playing the bonus content already on the disc. you have to go to ps store and buy the cerebus pack for $10. this a great example of a publisher locking out a significant portion of a sp game with one time codes.

i know that's a rare example and isn't the same thing sony is doing, however, ea started with an online pass sytem that somehow made its way into a sp player game. i just don't like seeiing parts of games locked out by codes.

That's bloody stupid. If it impacts the SP like that, then I'll get good and well riled up for sure. If it's advertised to be the entire package *in SP*, then it should remain that way. If it's advertised that the Pass will affect the SP in some way, then it's a tad more forgivable, but it still shouldn't happen. All I can say is that that information just made it a damn sight easier for me to ignore ME2 going forward.

Honestly, taking what World was saying earlier, I haven't ever gotten into any of the Bioshock games yet, however, considering what the latest Bioshock is serving up, it could be a very interesting romp indeed and worthy of a try

I am hoping visually the PS3 version will really have all the aces. We know it can do it and if the developers are using a new engine that actually makes use of the PS3's strengths, then we could be in for something special.

Let's hope those darn shadow anomalies do not show up with their blocky nastiness...

The original Bioshock included, PSMove functionality as well as possible Vita cross-connectivity? Even if the Irrational does have issues getting Unreal 3.X working on the PS3, I'd say we have a slight edge.

PGU - Played some White Knight, and some HotShots gold. I ordered Vanguish from Amazon, so hopefully that will keep me busy for a while.

This week, I have become very annoyed by something I am seeing going on both in our own gaming community here, but in gaming in general. The train of thought was perhaps started by Ben's editorial this week about whether reviewers were killing JRPGs. As it happens I think they are, I don't know if they mean to, I think some do, but I think it's just a product of games being reviewed by people with no knowledge of the genre at all.

However that has led to a lot of discussions here in other threads and I have come to a conclusion. I don't think Japanese publishers should release their games here at all because I don't think that western gamers in general deserve them. The discussion in particular here at this site was with respect to Aterlier Rorona, but it could equally have been about any of dozens of other games or anime series. What I am finding is that there are a huge number of people unable to look past simple innuendo or suggestion, or even a provocatively drawn character. Take Rorona for example. That game is a simple, sweet and fun turn based JRPG with an art style heavily influenced by anime, and which focuses on the synthesis system in the game. There is bawdy humor and innuendo, and that is about it. No nudity, no sex, nothing. The game's main character was listed as 17 here in the West and 14 in Japan, which is a reflection of the societal expectations of various ages. However because the game is anime styled, the main character is in her teens (17 in the western version) and the game features bawdy and suggestive humor, apparently some think that it's far, far, far more than it actually is.

There in lies the problem that is annoying me and why I think that we don't deserve these games any more. Why do we have to take the worst possible interpretation of something and adopt it as fact when it comes to a game or anime from Japan? That is what is increasingly happening. Not only that but once that happens, the next logical step is to decide that anyone enjoying such entertainment is somehow deviant.

If there was something in these things to be concerned about, then perhaps I could see the point, but there is not. It really pisses me off when people do this. It betrays their own ignorance and intolerance more than anything else. I've already talked of Rorona, but I could easily have mentioned other games and any number of Anime shows. What I find funny is that my wife watches a lot of Anime. She doesn't like the action based ones and has been watching a lot of harem/romance/slice of life comedies. Characters in these are typically in the last year or two at high school which places them in their mid to late teens. There is no sex, very little violence and a lot of teen angst and humor. There is a crap ton of fan service, but in the end, that's about it. Yet the typical reaction of people who do *not* watch these shows is to call anyone who does names like pervert - and much much worse. The thing is, such accusations are based on ignorance and cultural bias, not fact. Yet they get repeated often enough, and they become fact.

So, I come to the end of this thought. I don't think that we deserve their games or anime because I think that our society is simply not able to enjoy things without having to apply some hidden agenda of sexual deviance. I'm so sick and tired of people raging on JRPGs over various standard anime story and character archetypes. I'm tired of people seeing a character with boobs in a game or anime and then running away screaming about 12-year old characters with huge boobs and calling everyone perverts for watching it.

To all those who are in a position of ignorance on anime and jrpg and other pop culture from Japan, you can shove it. I don't want to hear it. Keep your ignorance and cultural chauvinism to yourselves.

Whoa...well written. Personally and from experience, I have never viewed anime as perverted...more or less just overdramatic, corny, and over the top. And around my way, most of the people who watch anime turn out to be socially awkward in either very small or very big ways. Is this a bad thing? Hell No as I accept everyone, but I notice it.

But those who consider it perverted are the same annoying who don't take the time to understand others and other forms of art...so I am with you.

Well said. It is disconcerting to see the way that people react to even the slightest hint of suggestive behaviour or implication, and it is only made all the worse when it comes to products from the Asian markets, perhaps because of some kind of clutural dislike. I think that it may have something to do with a generalised fear of sex and sexualism on the part of the general public of the Western markets, or rather our media and critics. One can find sexual references in even the most innocent of media, if one is willing to dig deep enough.

You mention an irritation with people regarding the most veiled of suggestion to children in regards to paedophilia. That is something that I disagree with you on. I agree that it is irritating, but my irritation stems from a double standard. Whenever I head into the city, I look around at the crowds, and I see children that are easily as young as eight dressed in the most vulgar of outfits, that it disgusts me to see even "young women" aged 18-21 wearing. I'm not sure whether it is the result of society at large, or the media, but you see kids being displayed as sex objects, but there is all of a sudden an uproar when the same sentiment is applied to video games or anime. It's crap.

I think that people need to realise this double standard, and realise that they are the ones furthering the decreasing age of sexual introduction. If that double standard is eliminated, then I'll be able to sympathise with people that rail against anime/games, but until that point they can go f*** themselves.

That being said, I do agree on many people not being deserving of such media because of their bias and bigotry, but to say that they shouldn't be localised because of them is wrong also. There are people that can see things clearly and avoid that double standard, so those things should be brought over for such people. If only there was a way to give licenses for open-mindedness, intelligence and morality... The world would be a better place methinks.
Peace.

P.S. Apologies if this is largely nonsensical. It was more stream of consciousness than a well-thought out argument.

Lawless, on the subject of young kids being sexualized in our society. I completely agree with you, there is such a double standard it almost gives me whiplash thinking about it.

There are beauty pageants for young girls little more than toddlers where they are paraded up and down a stage for the inspection of the 'judges' and yes, they have the bathing suit, the evening dress and the talent. These pageants continue through the entire age range into young women in their late teens and early 20's. Every where you go you will see young girls wearing the most ridiculous outfits that really and truly are not appropriate for children. You see them for sale everywhere, not just the fashion stores, but the mainstream ones too.

Yet, despite all of this, let a cartoon come along with a teen character in their mid to late teens who has big boobs and a bubbly personality and talks about the stuff that matters to a typical mid/late teen girl and suddenly it's completely beyond the pale. Huh? Seriously I've had it with this sort of garbage. OK, I'll agree with you I don't want to see these games, anime and other things disappear either, but people with the attitude I'm talking about, and they seem to be the vast majority, simply don't deserve the option.Last edited by Highlander on 7/10/2011 3:17:56 AM

I should have added to my reply to lawless. I agree about the double standard, your thought "You mention an irritation with people regarding the most veiled of suggestion to children in regards to paedophilia." Believe me when I say I am not, and would never defend anything to do with that horrible criminal action.

But then, in a sense that is part of the problem I see. People who rail against games and anime do not do it because of the actual content, they do it because of the expected content. That is they expect what they object to to be there because they believe it to be so. I mean, OK, there is plenty of far more adult and objectionable material out there. All one has to do is look at manga sites or search for a character image and you'll find stuff you'll wish you hadn't. Truly there are some sick minds in the world. But that's not the stuff we're talking about here.

The problem is that if you put a youthful character with a large bust in a short skirt, there is a huge number of people who immediately think it's Hentai or worse. However, like you I sense a double standard there too, if you watch TV aimed at kids aged 10-15, you'll see a great deal of young ladies running around in less clothing that any parent would like to see and throwing around innuendo frequently. There are shows aimed at mid/late teens that feature very grown up situations and language. I wonder what would happen if these shows were animated and presented in Japanese with English subtitles?

This same sort of anime and innuendo has been coming from Japan since the days of the first PlayStation. Both critics and gamers didn't seem to focus on it too heavily then; in fact, it was flat-out ignored in most reviews, as well it should be unless it actually impacts the game's overall quality.

Was that because in those days, it was really only Japanese developers that produced great games? And hence, they were given the benefit of the doubt? And now that critics take games more seriously and are more "grown up," they're faster to point out such traits?

An excellent question Ben, I think that there are a number of factors, but I don't really understand the root of it. I think that as time has progresses and console gaming has gone truly mainstream we are seeing the clash of mainstream western culture with the various niche genre that were always niche genre. It was just that they were bigger fish in a smaller pond. But gaming has grown so much now that what was once a large niche has become a small one. Reviewers reflect the mainstream attitudes.

The problem I have with the idea that somehow critics have to be more attentive to such things because games are grown up and serious now is that the objections are targeted in such a way that it's not so much the colorful, bright, silly, fun aspect of the game that is being attacked it's the innuendo. Yet when we look at other games, Western games, and as some perhaps would put it, grown up games, what do we see? GTA - the infamous sex scene, God of War - more digital sex, Duke Nukem get's a blow job, and so on, and that doesn't even begin to cover the use of language or violence in these supposedly grown up games.

To me those are not grown up, they are extremely immature, and not at all grown up. They don't deal with issues or deep thinking. Heavy Rain - yes, that is a grown up game GTA? No. Both rated M, both lauded by critics, but one of them is grown up and the other is an immature assembly of violence, swearing, sex and all the attitude that goes with it. Reviewers lap those up. There is the double standard. It's OK for this game, but not that game.

I don't think it's this aspect of games growing up, or modernizing at all. I think it's a lot of cultural chauvinism and double standards - among other things. When gaming was younger, these games were to an extent the only game in town, they were better than the average, and people loved them. Over time other games and gamers have joined the context. Now reviews and reviewers are in an environment where even a very good JRPG is not longer a stand out game because there are a lot of other good games. A lot of those games are built by western developers. You might think that would lead to less cultural chauvinism, but it doesn't. It's almost like a safety in numbers thing where it's safe to criticize Anime or JRPGs now, but wasn't before. It's OK now because they're not special anymore and because we have an army of gamers who don't care for them at all.

It's almost fashionable to look down on these things among many. It's like being at school when it was OK to pick on the smart kids, or how it's apparently OK to insult fat people because they're not a specific race or ethnicity. It's apparently OK to pour scorn on Japanese Pop Culture, and those that enjoy it.. It's socially acceptable, but the pop culture is not.Last edited by Highlander on 7/10/2011 8:16:44 PM

In many cases, I really think it's a critic going, "this game isn't as good as it should be, so I have to find more flaws to warrant the low score I'm going to give it."

It's almost as if many reviewers for major sites have already concluded, well before they even play a JRPG, that it won't get higher than an 8. An 8 would mean it's almost perfect. As you say, many Japanese games - not just JRPGs - just aren't kings of the hill, anymore; many Western titles outstrip them in terms of achievement. And it's also stuck in the reviewer's head that because they don't "change," that should also be chastised.

And hey, it's easy to attack the culture gap and label traits that arise due to this gap as "flaws." It further "verifies" that mediocre score they've already resolved to give the game.Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 7/10/2011 8:37:21 PM

Indeed Ben. It not only "verifies" the mediocre score, but too many times recently, the reviewer has taken things further, ultimately vilifying those that like the game (or anime).Last edited by Highlander on 7/10/2011 8:39:31 PM

I'm a big Bioshock fan,. I own both 1 and 2 so I'm definitely excited for Infinite. But I'm more excited for Mass Effect 3 which I hope turns out to be a classic like ME2. ME3 may be the only game that takes the crown from Bioshock, but if Infinite turns out to be as original as Bioshock 1, Infinite might just have enough umpphhh to knock ME3 down a peg. Besides ME3, I can't think of any other game worth mentioning.

im convinced bioshock infinite will be GOTY 2012.tomb raider looks good, but it does not have the story and atmosphere, the believable world of bioshock.ME3 looks f*cking fantastic, has the believable world and atmosphere of bioshock, but it does not have the gameplay and set pieces bioshock is famous for.thats the only thing i hated with ME2, the combat is so simplistic and boring!everything else in the game is so advanced and perfectly crafted, the combat just feels like it was torn out of a totally different game!does not fit at all!TLG looks amazing, but it wont have the atmosphere, characters and believable world of bioshock.hard to say really, i mean its been in development for 6 f*cking years and we know so little about it!sony Japan sure love taking there sweet time!its great that there confident to spend all the time in the world perfecting it, but come on we need some info!!!!!!!speaking of TLG it looks like it will be having move support, for some reason its on the SCEA website of move compat games.maybe thats why it got delayed....... AGAIN!only game that can give bioshock a run for its money is ME3, it has everything bioshock has but one, the combat.if they make it as deep and well thought out as everything else, then maybe it will give it a run for its money.but i cant see that happening, the gameplay in bioshock has always been so much fun, and this is going to be even better!kens just one of those guys that are just not human.like david, and john, everything they touch turns to gold!!!!!

i really enjoyed the trial version of limbo so i ended up downloading the whole thing, and was so disappointed.every level is a repeat of the last, i mean come on it gets seriously boring playing the same sh*t over and over again!as ive said a million times splosion man, shadow complex, super meat boy, illomilo, hell even TR guardian of light was better then limbo!

ive spent the last week playing with my wii, and ive had more fun with that then i have had with my ps3 and 360 in years!so great to get away from this stupid tech demo BS, and actually play a game thats FUN!thats whats really worrying me with the wiiU.there going HD now, so will they suffer the fate the ps3 and 360 suffered?i hope not, we need something to still hold its innocence!will be a sad, sad day when ninty looses that spark, that fun factor which always made them stand out from the crowd.

kinda is, the combat just felt too simplistic, not enough depth and variation.everything else in ME2 is so well fleshed out, it feels like it was designed by itself and perfected, but the gameplay feels like it was plucked out of another game and just dropped in.really felt out of place.the repetitiveness did not help either, i mean your fighting pretty much the same enemies for the entire game!everything else feels so perfect, they just need to give the combat the same detail and attention they gave everything else, then it will finally be the game it could and should be.

3D Dot Heroes is pretty great, but yeah the nostalgia wears off. I think I got frustrated at the fire temple and rage quit. But it's still such a fun and unique title that it stays in the collection and I'm glad I own it.

That's exactly it WorldEnds. The gameplay is frustrating. It reminds us of the old days, true, but the old days are gone because that kind of gameplay is exhausting. It's all there was back then, but we've moved on. I'd rather be playing my Sacred 2 than another frustratingly aimless walk through 3D Heroes.

I'm glad I have it too, but when it comes to Atlus, I want something like Etrian Odyssey or Persona on my PS3. Not some throwback to the limited gameplay of yesteryear.

@AlienageThat didn't really do a good job of answering my question. I was more after what level of goodness/greatness you think it should be at.

As for me, I wasn't frustrated ever. I platinumed it fairly quickly. The last trophy I needed was for surviving 10 hours in Spelunker mode (one hit K/O to you). I had already beaten the whole game on Spelunker mode within 6-7 hours. I basically had to let my PS3 run for a couple hours while I went to a meeting to finish up.

@WorldThat fire level is confusing if you think about having to zigg-zagg through the level. It's actually just one giant circle. It just happens to weave.

Anyways, super easy game, full of nostalgia. For what it is and what it is meant to be, it is fantastic. It's not like it's meant to rival Uncharted or something.Last edited by Underdog15 on 7/10/2011 4:29:41 PM

why are the HOME parties always on Thursday? i have class that night till 9pm... wish it were on a Wednesday, Saturday or even Sunday... oh well, cant be apart of everything i guess ... education comes first ^_^

for me the last guardian will be the game to beat next year. man i still haven't checked out episode 2 yet i'll have to go home later & watch it. PGU i've spent the last few evenings playin resident evil 2 i bought from the PS store man 13 years later that game still rocks!Last edited by TheCanadianGuy on 7/10/2011 10:50:28 AM

Well the story is a bit iffy. I just have a problem believing that people would be walking around the city like nothing is wrong when there are monsters and militia freaks all over the city doing crazy stuff, and also knowing that there is something destroying everything in it's path that is headed your way.

Wouldn't people either be fleeing the city or hiding in their houses? Instead of playing drums on some trash cans in the street for quarters?

Also, Coles climbing can be a bit too sticky, but once again, it works 95% of the time so it's just minor things.

And like I stated before, that chick is waaay over the top sorta ghetto like, and is a bit annoying.

Also at first I hated Cole's voice but now I kinda like it.

And the last thing is... I feel there have been way too many segments where I'm just fighting tons and tons of enemies. I would rather have enemies placed in creative ways where I can take them out different ways, then just enter a zone with 50 militia dudes just shooting at me. Sorta felt like Prototype.

But again, it will probably end up being my favorite game of the generation, just little gripes.

It's a great game and I'm enjoying it thoroughly ,but, I'm finding it just a more polished InFamous with a continued storyline not a GOTY. Targeting is wonky and with the faster conduits I'm finding it's tricky to hit them very quickly. The "stickyness" of Cole can be quite maddening especially in the heat of battle. He will stick to things you don't want him to and then wont mount a ladder or a pole from the ground to save his neck! It's even caused me to completely miss a pole and end up dead in the water...grr... Thank goodness for autosave! :) Overall a great game ,but, not groundbreaking like LA Noire. Jus' my .02

I didn't want to be too picky with the sticky climbing because I can imagine it's real hard to get those physics down, but yeah man it's so damn hard to jump on a ladder! Shouldn't that be easier than jumping on wall?

Infamous has been my favorite game of the generation. But not because the story was amazing, cause the graphics were incredible or cause the gameplay was one of a kind, but just because I found myself having way more fun with it than any other game.

It was a great length and I thought it was nicely balanced. I loved being able to have cool powers that sorta acted like shooting a gun, with the zoom in targeting some of the powers had. Then it had cool platforming elements and the way the missions and the battles were put together, they actually felt like mini-levels instead of how I think they feel in any other sandbox game.

The side missions were fun and finding the shards and dead drops was nice and challenging when the game was over. But never while I was playing it was I in awe, in the same way Bioshock, MGS4, LBP or Uncharted made me feel.

It sorta felt like Resistance. Resistance has always been a solid game, but in my opinion never even close to being a GOTY candidate.

It's hard to explain it, you would assume since it's my favorite game then that would automatically mean that it would be my GOTY. But it isn't and it is at the same time. It is because the fun factor in it was a 10+ but graphically and story wise it was somewhere around a 7.

While games like MGS4 and Uncharted had fun factors of 9.5 and graphics and story of 9.5 in my opinion.

So it's that thing where you don't know if fun factor ultimately trumps a good story and pretty graphics too, when the fun factor is almost as good.

Also let me say that Infamous 2 doesn't look that much better graphically, I realize that the more I play it. The physics with the buildings collapsing or those first 10 minutes was a lot better, but if you compare screenshots, they aren't too different.Last edited by Fabi on 7/10/2011 2:52:31 PM

I'm telling you guys, pop the first infamous in and try it for five minutes, you'll see Cole's stick factor has had a major reduction. A certain amount has to be there or the mechanic won't work, but it's still better this time around.

The story was quite good in my opinion. As far as people going on about their lives, people in war torn parts of the world try and do it all the time. Besides, not sure how realistic you want a game like inFamous to be. The very notion of a man running around shooting lightening bolts out of his hands is absurd in and of itself.

Stickiness wasn't a problem for me. Targeting your jumps correctly seemed to help with that and as World said, they improved it in 2. Quite a bit in my opinion.

I can agree with you about Nix. She was kind of annoying but not enough to take points away from the overall game. I thought her attitude was convincing and I liked her interactions with Kuo.

Fighting enemies was largely the same in 2 as it was 1 except in 2 they allow more opportunity for stealth attacks. To catch your enemy off guard. I don't know, well just have to agree to disagree. This game got nit picked way too much by people and it deserves more praise than it's getting. It may not win GOTY with the critics but it's certainly the most fun and enjoyable experience I have had all year.

As for the graphics not being much better, I don't mean to be rude but you need to get your eyes checked or get a new TV because they are way better than the first installment. The jump was as drastic as Drakes Fortune was to Among Thieves. Seriously, I really don't understand how you can dispute that fact. It's not a matter of opinion. Your opinion maybe that you didn't like the graphics but cannot state that there wasn't a huge improvement as far as fidelity goes as if it is a matter of fact. It just isn't.Last edited by Jawknee on 7/10/2011 6:59:12 PM

That's because you aren't very good at climbing. I haven't played Infamous 2 yet but I've never had any problems at all sticking to something I didn't want to stick to. I know how to control Cole to make sure he does what I want him to, people who usually gripe about controls aren't very good with them.

Of course the whole thing about Cole shooting lighting is already crazy, but you at least try to conceive how people would react to him doing that, and the NPCs react in a way real people would react.

And have you been to these bad parts in the world? People aren't walking around like nothing dancing around or playing drums.

Go to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico D.F. and see if people are walking around like nothing in the middle of the nite in the bad parts.

Anyway, you know what I mean. That doesn't make the game any less fun, I'm just saying things like that will always stay in the back of your mind if you're the kind of player I am.

And about getting my eyes checked... I'm not the only one that thinks so. It's a jump, but it's not a leap.

Now you can have a different opinion in what a jump and leap are, and I think that is more the problem here.

You think it's a leap, I think it's a jump.

@Clam -I'm awesome at climbing. I've been doing it since I was a kid. Cole is very sticky. It's not like I'm saying it breaks the damn game for me, but come on, there is nothing wrong with finding faults with games. I'm as good a gamer as you are, and have great reflexes and have been gaming as long as you, or longer. I'm sure everyone has experienced Cole sticking to something they didn't want to. Pretty much every review has stated this.

Nobody is saying it's a bad game. I think you guys are so paranoid about trolls that when someone has small gripes about games, you automatically categorize it has hating on the game. I've said it a million times, it's my favorite game this generation! But that doesn't mean it doesn't have it's faults.Last edited by Fabi on 7/10/2011 10:59:12 PM

I've never said anything about people hating the game because of a few gripes with it, but why is it others are having a problem with controlling Cole when I'm not? I know it has a bit of a magnet effect but I know where I can and cannot land with how the magnet will reach onto things, I'm not saying this just to lie and prove others wrong I'm saying this because I've never had a problem and I'm being 100% truthful here.

Even watching a JTV streamer I watch a lot he was playing IF2, and I can clearly see what he's doing wrong even though he can't see it, and he's blaming the controls. I don't know, maybe it's just me.

You might not think you're lying, but can you honestly say you have never had a problem with Cole not jumping where you want him to?

Hell, for example, yesterday I jumped off a building and under me were two power lines. I didn't want to land on either of them, I wanted to surprise the enemies under them. There was a pretty big space in between them and I tried to sneak my way down behind them and Cole AUTOMATICALLY landed on one of them. I had absolutely no say in it. The game literally told Cole, there is no way this guy wants to go to the ground, so stick to a power line!

I know what he can do too. I spent a lot of time playing the first one. But just because I know how to play it, doesn't mean Cole doesn't have a stickiness to his climbing that can sometimes mess things up.

Now if you're claiming you're the perfect gamer and you have absolutely no problems with this ever, then right on! But unless you post up a 30 minute or longer video of you jumping and climbing through the city on every single type of object without messing up. I don't believe you.

That Bioshock vid successfully blew my mind. I loved the first one, didn't play the second one though. PGU: Upgrayyyeeddd! Just bought myself a 320gb PS3 and gave my 80gb to my bro. I bought EDF:IA Friday. I agree with your review 100%. There is just something about that game that I enjoy so much. I usually can't see this many flaws in a game and still enjoy every second I play it. Well worth the $40 price tag. Found Yakuza 3 at Kmart for $15 so I couldn't pass that up. Also been playing more PSN games. Playing through Dungeon Hunter Alliance and loving it. Just beat Dead Nation as well. Anyone wanting to game shoot me a friend invite! I need some peeps to play EDF with. *cedwards7888*...Let me know you're from the PSXE community please.

Compare the warranty you get with the returned unit against the 90 day warranty Sony gives on the refurbs they send as replacement for dead systems. Sony's costs (in NA at least) include shipping to and from Sony, and they supply the box and packaging. Most third parties charge you extra shipping and you have to find the packaging.

When I call them tomorrow I'm going to ask about an warranty and a receipt just in case I'll go with them. As for packing and shipping it's not a problem we're in the same city. I see they got positive reviews I just want to make sure either way I get the problem fix(disc tray) and not get a refurb PS3 that has it own potential issues in the future.Last edited by JDC80 on 7/10/2011 9:19:23 PM

I understand completely, sadly one of our PS3s died in Highlander Mansions and it turned out to have friend the GPU, so it wasn't repairable. I had to turn to Sony as a backup and a refurb is on it's way. At least it will be the same model - Phat with PS2 compatibility.

I can't wait for BioShock Infinite to come out next year. Should be an excellent game!

PGU: I finally got around to finishing BioShock 2 (and did Minerva's Den), going with the "Good" ending. Also finished Bulletstorm but ran into a glitch of some kind and didn't get the achievement for beating it on normal/easy mode (did it on normal so I should've gotten both of them).

I hopefully will be able to send my PS3 away soon to get fixed (the BR drive is kaput) because I've been keen on starting up inFamous 2 and haven't been able to play it yet.

@theHighlanderThe crazy thing about my situation I had no problems with taking out and putting games in Friday afternoon when I decided to get that plat in "AC 2" later that night the game was just spinning around in the disc tray. I had positive dealings with Sony when I had to send back a console and getting it back fast(within a couple of days fast). But having my PSP going back to Sony also sucks.

YEah, I used a third party for my PSP thumbstick repair, but the PS3 went first to a third party who reflowed it but found the GPU was trashed. Sony has been pretty quick and painless in terms of the transaction and service. Plus since I returned the dead one to them, it's easier to get Sony to cooperate with deactivation. They will deactivate the dead one and any content locked to it so I can activate my new one and re-download.

The PS3 was literally OK one moment and dead the next. No indication of imminent death at all. Then it was turned on one evening, and with a yellow flash of the LED, three beeps and a flashing red LED, she was gone.Last edited by Highlander on 7/12/2011 12:20:24 AM